The present invention is related to fittings or connectors for passing pipes, cables, wires, etc., through a shell or wall that forms a pressure boundary.
Specifically, the present invention is directed to a vessel penetration fitting that enables a relatively large number of pipes to be brought across a pressure boundary, e.g., a vessel shell, in a relatively small area while still maintaining the structural integrity of the vessel shell or wall.
In prior art fittings, the number of penetrations in a given area is limited because each shell penetration and related fitting requires an individual compensating sleeve. A compensating sleeve surrounds the fitting compensating for the penetration and distributing the structural and pressure stresses around the hole in the shell. Pressure boundary integrity may be compromised if many penetrations are concentrated in a limited area. Further, prior art arrangements requiring each penetration, fitting and sleeve to be treated as a separate pressure boundary crossing increase both material costs and labor.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a penetration fitting that will enable a relatively large number of pipes or conduits to be brought across a pressure boundary in a relatively small area.
It is another object of the invention to provide a number of penetrations in a small area of a vessel shell while still maintaining the structural integrity of the shell.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a penetration fitting for a number of pipes or conduits using a single compensating sleeve.
These and other objects of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description.